Breathe to Thrive

A primary tool for anxiety relief

An excerpt from the book Annihilate Social Anxiety for Teens by Dr Thashna Walsh

According to breathing coach Emma Ferris, 80% of people don't breathe properly as they don't use the total capacity of their lungs. Instead, they shallow-breathe using the upper part of their lungs and not the lower parts. So therefore, the diaphragm doesn't get fully extended, so they don't take in enough oxygen to get to all the organs and glands in the body. Breathing like this means only breathing enough to survive but not enough to thrive.

Diagram 6: The mechanism of breathing

Let's test whether you are breathing correctly now. Sit comfortably in an upright position; now observe your posture. Are you slumped forward with your shoulders rounded forward? Or are they back and relaxed? Your posture is the number one thing to address before taking on any breathing exercises.

When your posture slumps, you curl the shoulders forward, lowering your lungs' capacity (See Diagram 6); therefore, it's impossible to fully expand the lungs when you take a breath. Slumping means you can't fill your lungs entirely and, therefore, cannot fully oxygenate your body. Yes, you are alive, but some organs, such as your brain, heart and gut, have reduced energy. Think of where your heart resides in your body, between your lungs, under your ribcage and think of the added pressure on it when you slump or slouch over. So, your heart is under physical stress from poor posture and emotional stress from anxiety. So, sit and stand up straight and get relaxed.

When we don’t breathe properly, the frequency of our energy centres diminish. When we turn on the stress response, (the same response causing anxiety) we drain these centres of vital energy we need to thrive. This is why dysfunctions in the immune system, the gut and the heart are so closely linked to anxiety. Think about it: what do you feel when you are in a social situation? Yes, you feel anxious. What are the symptoms of anxiety? Does your heart race? Do you feel you can’t breathe? Do you get clammy? Does your mind get scrambled? Do you get knots in your stomach? Do you feel nauseous? Do you get the picture?

All these symptoms are responses the body makes because it feels it’s not safe. It takes an awful lot of energy to support this. Imagine then this behaviour has been going on for a long time. Your energy centres will deplete, and more chronic issues will occur as there is insufficient energy for essential bodily functions.

Breathing and thinking well, restores the life force of energy in your body’s energy centres to create a healthy energy field around your body. When your energy field is strong, you feel safe, grounded, open to exploring, happy, and secure in yourself. It’s simple really.

So roll your shoulders forward, then roll them up towards your ears, then roll them back, and let them drop down gently, squeezing the shoulder blades towards each other. Make sure your lower back is straight, with a gentle curve pointing forward. Sitting on the bony protrusion in your buttocks, not your sacrum or spine. Your head should not be projecting in front of your shoulders but should be directly on top of the shoulders.

Good Sitting Posture: Supportive to your heart lung/breathing, energy centres and your life force.

See this link for Good standing posture

Simply, it feels like you are gently sticking your chest ahead of your head, leading with your heart but taking your head with you. Good posture is also essential when standing and walking around. This keeps all the energy centres of your body open and supportive of each other.

Check your sitting posture: From the side as you sit, there should be a straight line from the hole of your ear to the centre of your shoulder to the hip bone as you sit. If you are sitting on a chair, keep your feet flat on the ground or the floor. Make sure your knees are not higher than your hips as you sit. If you are sitting on your bed or sofa, arrange your legs in the lotus position. This is an ideal sitting posture. In this optimal posture, you can now take a very deep breath.

Become aware of what happens to your body when you take each breath. For example, do your shoulders rise up, or does your belly expand? Of course, what you want is for your belly to expand and your shoulders to remain where they are in a nice, relaxed position.

If you’re finding it difficult getting your belly to expand, then you will need to practise some more, filling up your lungs correctly using the diaphragm. Once you’ve mastered this, you can move on to the breathing exercise.

Your body is yours to take care of, and it will take care of you. So let’s do some deep breathing.

Exercise: Breathe to thrive

Find a comfortable position and become present with your physical body. Wiggle your toes, rub your hands together, relax your jaw, neck and shoulder muscles, and think: "I am okay. I am safe."

Close your eyes.

● On a count of 1 and 2, breathe slowly and deeply in through the nose, letting the air fill up your

lungs as your abdomen expands.

● Hold on a count of 3 and 4.

● As you exhale on 5 and 6, think to yourself:

"I am doing my best, and that is good enough."

Again, Breathe deeply in on 1 and 2, hold 3 and 4, and as you breathe out 5 and 6, think:

"I can always do better, and I will."

With each exhale, let your body relax while you think of these statements and direct them to yourself.

Replace any negative, self-critical thoughts with new positive ones.

With every inhale, welcome this positive energy. Let every breath speak to you in your mind and in your heart. Let it encourage and empower you. Know that you are fully capable of being a bright, collected and accomplished person.

Now, focus your breath into your chest, the area of your heart's energy centre, continuing to let go of any tension in this area as you exhale. Spend some time here while allowing gratitude and love to lighten this area and rebalance this centre.

Do this exercise for 5 mins or more, 3 times per day or more. Again, focus on your breath as you repeat the statements.

For lots more information and exercises to overcome social anxiety, why not get the book Annihilate Social Anxiety for Teens. It will be publish in December 2022.

To clear anxiety in 1 to 3 sessions with Rapid Transformational Therepy at TWLT, book a free Discovery Call with one our amazing therapists to find out more.